


"I’ll kidnap a thousand children!"

by SlytherinSpaceCat



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff, M/M, bc that's apparently donghyuck's fave movie, donghyuck is STRESSED, feelings are involved, ish, mark tries to cheer him up, they watch monsters inc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:15:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25830436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlytherinSpaceCat/pseuds/SlytherinSpaceCat
Summary: Donghyuck huffed as a response. “What are we watching? I hope it’s not something stupid.”“It’s Monsters Inc.”That made Donghyuck pause and look at him properly. “Really? I thought you said you didn’t want to watch that again after all the times I made you watch it before?”Mark gave him a smile. “I don’t mind. It was a while ago now.”
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 5
Kudos: 187





	"I’ll kidnap a thousand children!"

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sleeplessstrawberry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sleeplessstrawberry/gifts).



> You know, sometimes i just get these weird writing spurs. I haven't written properly in months, then suddenly i wrote this in just a few hours today. So if this feels a little hasty that's because i literally wrote it in less than four hours and barely read it through before posting it lol. That apparently how i roll. 
> 
> Anyway this fic is, as most of my fics, written for and of the idea of my strawberry. The idea comes from us learning that haechan's favourite movie is monsters inc. How can you not write a fic from that? 
> 
> ps. i promise the title will make sense once you read the fic lol
> 
> Enjoy!

As long as Mark had known Lee Donghyuck, the younger had excelled when he was busy. When everyone else was drowning under the stress, he’d seemed to rise. And in their field of work; it was an asset. 

But this spring had dragged everything out of Donghyuck, with three comebacks in two months, that not even he seemed to be able to keep up. He kept insisting that he was fine - and Mark mostly believed him - but they could all see the toll it was taking on him. He wasn’t as lively as before - or not as annoying as Doyoung would say, but Mark could see the worried looks he sent after Donghyuck as well. 

Mostly they let Donghyuck be. They all knew that he’d bounce back soon enough. Mark just wished Donghyuck would talk to him. They were supposed to be best friends, but lately, Donghyuck had seemed to avoid him for some reason. Instead of going to Mark, he went out for drinks with Taeil, closed himself in with Johnny in their room to play computer games, or went over to the dreamies dorm to talk to Jaemin and play with them. Sometimes he even stayed the night. Mark hadn’t bothered asking in whose bed he slept in then. It used to be his bed Donghyuck came to sleep in, but not anymore. 

He had tried to talk to Taeyong about it, but the leader has just given him a sympathetic look and told him to give Donghyuck some space. 

“I know he still considers you his best friend,” Taeyong had said with a pat on Mark’s shoulder, and that had been that conversation. 

Mark wondered how Taeyong could be so sure since Donghyuck only seemed to interact with him when they were filming nowadays. 

Doyoung had of course given him the opposite advice from Taeyong. Because that was just how they were. 

“You should talk to Haechannie. You won’t get any answers by trying to stare holes into his head,” Doyoung had said wisely. Mark hadn’t even asked for his advice, he just assumed that the older had heard about this from Taeyong and decided to take things into his own hands. 

“Taeyong-hyung said I should give him space.”

Doyoung had huffed at that. “You think Haechannie will be glad if you tried to talk to him.” 

Mark hoped Doyoung was right. Because he honestly missed his best friend. And he wanted to see him happy and relaxed again. 

Yuta was lazily talking about something as he laid spread out of the sofa with his head in Mark’s lap. Mark was only listening with half an ear, his mind trying to come up with different scenarios on how to cheer up Donghyuck. Yuta didn’t seem to mind that he wasn’t really listening, as he kept talking despite Mark’s lack of proper answers. 

Then the sound of the door made him snap his head up. He’d been waiting for Donghyuck to come home, and he breathed out a breath he hadn’t been aware that he was holding as the youngest came around the corner. 

“Hi, Donghyuck-ah,” he called, interrupting Yuta in the middle of a sentence. Donghyuck looked up at the sound of his name. There was something in his eyes that Mark couldn’t place as he looked at them. “How are you?” 

Donghyuck gave them a smile out of his assortment of fake smiles. Mark considered himself an expert on Donghyuck’s smiles, both the real ones and the fake ones. He had a few fake ones he used when they were being filmed - one of “I’m tired but I have to smile anyway” and one of “I don’t find this funny but I have to smile and laugh anyway” which was so fake Mark assumed anyone could see right through it. Then he had a set of fake smiles he used away from the cameras. Those Mark wasn’t sure how many could tell what they really meant. 

“I’m fine,” Donghyuck said. “But it’s been a long day so I’m going to sleep straight away.” Then he left before Mark got a chance to say anything else. 

“Is he aware that it’s only 7 pm?” Yuta wondered. Mark gnawed his lower lip. It wasn’t like Donghyuck. 

“I should probably go and check on him,” he said, giving Yuta an apologetic look as he lifted his head out of his lap. Yuta pouted but didn’t protest. 

Mark didn’t get far before he met Johnny stepping out of his and Donghyuck’s room, looking like he just rolled out of bed. 

“Ah, Mark,” Johnny greeted. “Donghyuck just came back if you’re looking for him.” 

Mark felt the blush rise on his cheeks. “I know, I saw him come in.” 

Johnny gracefully didn’t comment on Mark’s red cheeks. “He said he wanted to be alone. But I’m sure he wouldn’t mind your company.” 

“You think so?” 

Johnny didn’t get a chance to answer before the door behind him was pulled open and Donghyuck stuck his head out, looking annoyed. “Are you idiots aware that I can hear every word you’re saying? You are literally standing outside my door.” 

Johnny smiled easily while Mark just blushed harder. “I’m sorry, Heachannie,” Johnny said, “We’ll continue talking about you somewhere else.” 

Donghyuck huffed, looking over a Mark who jumped slightly. “I’m sorry!” he said quickly, making Donghyuck roll his eyes at him before he shut the door behind him again. 

“Maybe I should just leave him alone,” Mark said gloomily as he followed Johnny away from there. 

Johnny hummed. “I think you should talk to him. I know you can cheer him up.” 

“I’m not sure…”

“You know him the best out of all of us. If anyone can cheer him up it’s you,” Johnny said encouragingly, before leaving Mark to his thoughts. 

He hoped he still knew Donghyuck the best. 

  
  
  


“Leave me alone!” Donghyuck called as Mark knocked on his door a little while later. Mark ignored him, opening the door. The knock had only been to be polite. 

Donghyuck didn’t even bother removing his headphones as he looked away from his computer to glare at Mark. “Leave me alone.” 

“Nope,” Mark said, stepping into the room and dumping his laptop and several bags of snacks on Donghyuck’s bed. 

“What are you doing?” 

“We’re having a movie night. I’ve made ramen as well, I’ll go get it.” He left again before Donghyuck got a chance to protest. 

“Jungwoo-hyung, step away from the ramen!” he called as he found Jungwoo in the kitchen looking curiously down at the done bowls of ramen. 

Jungwoo looked up with his best set of sad puppy eyes. “You didn’t do ramen for me?” 

“Not this time, hyung,” Mark said apologetically. “It’s for Donghyuck, I’m trying to cheer him up.” 

Jungwoo got a glint in his eyes that made Mark instinctually take a step away from him. 

“Just give him a kiss, I’m sure that will cheer him up,” Jungwoo grinned. 

“A w-what?” Mark stuttered. Jungwoo just winked at him and made kissy sounds with his lips before he skipped away. Mark had to spend a few moments to collect himself and will his blush to go down before he could return to Donghyuck’s room. 

When he came back Donghyuck had removed his headphones but he was still looking at the pile of stuff on his bed with crossed arms from his chair. 

“Come on, Donghyuck-ah,” Mark beckoned, holding out one of the bowls of ramen for Donghyuck to take. Donghyuck thankfully stood up to take it, even if he looked displeased the whole time. 

“You forgot the chopsticks,” he said flatly. 

“No, they’re in my pocket,” Mark said, fishing up a pair of chopsticks. “Here.” 

Donghyuck huffed but took them anyway. Then he looked up at Mark. “What?” 

“I can go if you really want me to leave?” He was starting to second-guess if this really was such a good idea after all. Maybe he just should’ve listened to Taeyong. 

“No, we can have your stupid movie night,” Donghyuck sighed, sitting down on the bed. “I guess I don’t mind.” 

Mark gave him a smile, before sitting down next to him and pulling the laptop into his lap with some difficulty as he tried to balance the bowl of ramen with his other hand. 

“Give me that before you spill it all over my bed,” Donghyuck said, taking the bowl out of his hand. 

“Thanks.” 

Donghyuck huffed as a response. “What are we watching? I hope it’s not something stupid.”

“It’s Monsters Inc.” 

That made Donghyuck pause and look at him properly. “Really? I thought you said you didn’t want to watch that again after all the times I made you watch it before?” 

Mark gave him a smile. “I don’t mind. It was a while ago now.” 

Donghyuck looked like he wanted to keep being annoyed, but Mark could see the smile tugging at his lips. “Just play the damn movie.” 

“Yes, Donghyuck-ah.” 

  
  


Mark had always thought it adorable that Monsters Inc. was still Donghyuck’s favourite move. Even now he could see Donghyuck relax in the corner of his eye, sinking deeper into the pillows behind them. They had finished their ramen, each having an open bag of snacks in their laps now. Even if Donghyuck seemed to eat more out of Mark’s bag than his own, but he didn’t mind. It was just nice seeing Donghyuck comfortable. 

But after a while, he had to admit that it didn’t seem like Donghyuck was watching the movie anymore. Instead, he’d been looking a Mark the last minutes. He could feel the burning gaze at the side of his head. He squirmed, keeping his eyes on the screen in front of them. 

“Is there something on my face?” he finally said when he couldn’t take it anymore. 

“No.”

He swallowed. “Then why do you keep staring at my face? You’re missing the movie.” 

He didn’t need to look at Donghyuck to know what kind of smile broke out on his lips. It was the teasing kind. He’d given Mark those kinds of smiles as long as he could remember. 

“‘This has gone far enough, James’,” Donghyuck said, lowering his voice in a quite poor imitation of Waternoose. He was still watching Mark, but he matched the lines on the screen perfectly anyway. 

“‘She’s home now. Just leave her alone!’” he continued, switching over to Sulley’s voice, then back to Waternoose. “‘I can’t do that, James. She’s seen too much. You both have.’” 

Mark snorted, and he could see Donghyuck smile in the corner of his eye. 

“‘It doesn’t have to be this way’,” Donghyuck said together with Sulley. Then he made a face that Mark guessed should resemble Waternoose. “‘I have no choice. Times have changed. Scaring isn’t enough anymore.” 

Mark couldn’t hold his laugh anymore. “Stop it,” he snorted. 

“‘But kidnapping children?’” Donghyuck all but yelled, leaning closer to Mark who tried to get away, which only resulting in Donghyuck climbing on top of him, yelling in Waternoose’s voice: “‘I’ll kidnap a thousand children before I let this company die, and I’ll silence anyone who gets in my way!’”

“Oh my god, you’re ridiculous,” Mark wheezed, smacking Donghyuck on the arm while burying his face against his chest. Donghyuck laughed. 

The laptop had slid off Mark’s legs as Donghyuck climbed on top of him, but neither of them made any effort to return to it. Donghyuck made himself more comfortable in Mark’s lap, leaning his hands on Mark’s shoulders. The laughter died down between them. 

“Thank you,” Donghyuck said, giving Mark one of his most rare smiles - the careful one. 

“What for?” 

Their eyes locked and Mark got the feeling that Donghyuck would just laugh it off and remove himself from Mark’s lap, so he took a firmer grip on Donghyuck’s hips, keeping him in his lap. Donghyuck made a small surprised sound. 

“For cheering me up,” Donghyuck said finally. 

“Of course,” Mark said immediately. “We’re best friends.” 

That for some reason didn’t seem to be the answer Donghyuck was waiting for. He tried to get up, but Mark held him down. 

“Donghyuck-ah, talk to me,” Mark begged, squeezing Donghyuck’s hips. 

“You want me to talk to you while I sit on your lap?” 

Mark blushed. “I… I don’t mind?” 

Donghyuck rolled his eyes, but at least he didn’t try to get away again. “Okay, what do you want to talk about?” 

Mark cleared his throat. “How are you feeling?” 

“Right now?”

“Yeah, and more generally? You seem stressed?”

“I’m fine,” Donghyuck said immediately. Then he deflated when Mark gave him a look. “Okay, fine, I’m tired. It’s been a lot. I can still keep up, but… but I’m afraid that I’ll get so tired that I start making mistakes…” 

“That’s okay. None of us would blame you, we know you’re working harder than any of us,” Mark reassured him. 

“But the fans-”

“They wouldn’t blame you either,” Mark interrupted. “You’ve seen their comments, they’re also worried about you.” 

“I know,” Donghyuck said. And that seemed to be the end to that conversation. 

“Donghyuck, um, are you mad at me?” Mark asked after a while. Donghyuck was playing with one of Mark’s hands, not looking at him, but his question made him look up.

“Why would I be mad at you?” 

“Just a feeling. You haven’t talked with me in forever.”

Donghyuck frowned. “That’s because you spend all your time with either Johnny-hyung or Yuta.” 

“Oh.”

“What do you mean ‘oh’?” Donghyuck frowned deeper, pinching Mark’s fingers. 

“I thought I was the only one who was jealous,” Mark blurted out, immediately regretting it. They looked at each other, Donghyuck frozen in Mark’s lap. 

“I’m sorry-” Mark started, but was interrupted by Donghyuck’s lips on his. The kiss ended before Mark could fully process what was happening. 

The started dumbly at each other. Donghyuck’s cheeks were as red as Mark guessed his own was. 

“You kissed me?” 

“I did.” 

“Why?” 

Donghyuck gave him one of his  _ are you stupid _ -looks. “Gee, hyung, why would one kiss someone?” 

Mark knew, but he didn’t want to say it out loud, because what if he assumed wrong? That would make things awkward beyond repair between them. 

_ Haechannie just kissed you _ , a voice that sounded like Doyoung’s tired tone said in his head. _You two have already crossed any line you're afraid of crossing_.

“You like me?” he said finally. 

Donghyuck sighed like it hurt him to admit it. “Yes, I like you.”

“Oh.” 

“Mark, I know you’re actually good with words, now would be a great time to show that.”

“I’m sorry.” That was apparently the wrong thing to say because Donghyuck’s face fell. “No! I mean- dammit…” 

Donghyuck made an effort to get off Mark’s lap, so he did the only thing he could think of. He pulled Donghyuck closer, one hand on his neck, pressing their lips together again. Donghyuck made a surprised sound, but he soon found himself again, leaning into Mark, taking the kiss deeper than Mark had intended. Not that he minded. 

“I like you too,” he said between kisses. 

“Good. Otherwise, this would be really awkward,” Donghyuck said, squeezing Mark’s cheeks between his hands. 

Mark laughed. “Yeah, it would.” 

“You’re such a dork,” Donghyuck told him, leaning down to press another kiss on his lips. 

“Hey, says the one that just quoted Monsters Inc. to me,” Mark protested. 

“Well, you fell for it, I would say that makes you the bigger dork, hyung.” 

“This date is canceled,” Mark pouted, trying to push Donghyuck off himself. But now it was Donghyuck who held on to him, snaking his arms around Mark. 

“Thank you, Mark-ah,” he whispered into Mark’s ear, sending shivers down his arms. 

“Anytime,” he smiled, holding Donghyuck close to him. He guessed he still knew Donghyuck the best.

-

When Johnny finally dared to return to his and Donghyuck’s room he found the two lovebirds cuddled up on top of Donghyuck’s bed, their arms and legs intertwined, making it almost impossible to decide where one of them started and the other ended. Donghyuck had his face pressed against the crook of Mark’s neck, both of them sleeping with content smiles on their faces. 

Johnny quickly snapped a photo with his phone, before he returned to the living room. 

“Me and Jungwoo win the bet.” 

**Author's Note:**

> I have a feeling that im going to read this again in a couple of months and wish that i've spent more time on it lol. But for now, hope you liked it! Please leave a comment with your thoughts, to you know, make my day. Or kudos. Kudos are also good. 
> 
> And thanks for reading! I will most likely be back with more nct fics
> 
> xoxo


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